


Wouldn't It Be Great (If It Was Golden)

by katajainen



Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2018 [19]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bathing/Washing, Fluff, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, New Relationship, No beta - provided as is, So very self-indulgent sappy nonsense but I have the flu so please bear with me, Very single-minded double-entendres, gratuitous fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 22:44:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13774176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katajainen/pseuds/katajainen
Summary: Sometime after the reclaiming of Erebor, Fíli and Ori have the bath only for themselves.





	Wouldn't It Be Great (If It Was Golden)

**Author's Note:**

> Day 21 of the February Ficlet Challenge, prompt: swimming, bathing or washing.

The lamplight was soft in the warm air, and tendrils of steam curled invitingly from the sunken bath as Ori rubbed soap into his hands and then into Fíli's moist hair. It felt strange, still, to have such luxury, and even more so, to only share it between the two of them. Strange, but exciting.

Ori smiled to himself and dug his hands into the golden mass of curls, taking more time with the task than a simple wash would perhaps justify. And Fíli, Ori decided, would definitely purr if he could. As he could not, he simply leaned heavily against him, humming low in his throat, and, to be quite frank, making a rather good approximation of a contented cat. However, as Ori massaged over a spot just above his temples, his lover let out a near-obscene groan and tipped his head back, eyes closed. ‘Oh yes, Ori, that’s it, right _there_ … please don’t stop, that’s so good–’

‘Now you sound like you’re speaking of something else entirely.’ And Ori couldn’t deny the blissed-out look on Fíli’s face and that tone of voice weren’t affecting him as well.

‘It’s… hard not to, when you’re so good with your hands.’

‘You’re still doing it.’

‘Should I stop?’

‘No…’ Ori rubbed his thumbs in tight circles at the back of Fíli’s head. ‘That good?’

‘A bit lower… there!’

‘Ordering me around, now, are you?’

‘Only a little bit; you’re almost too good already.’ Lazy, half-slurred words in low, breathless voice. Ori was half convinced Fíli did it on purpose.

‘Flatterer,’ he countered, without really meaning it. The words of praise were new, too, and Ori thought he never wanted to get used to hearing them. He wanted to keep this sudden warmth blossoming within is chest, keep it fresh and glowing for all his days.

‘You know what I read the other day?’ he asked after a moment. ‘That in the North of Khand there lives a cat that likes water and loves swimming, or so they say. Isn’t it strange?’

‘Sure…’ Fíli cracked open one eye. ‘Why are you stopping?’

Ori reached for a pitcher of water. ‘Close your eyes; I’m going to rinse now.'

‘Do you have to?’

‘If you want to get in the bath, then yes.’

‘That’s nasty, making me choose,’ Fíli mumbled half-audibly. ‘All right then.’

Water shimmered golden on his skin and hair as Ori rinsed off the foam, combing the wet strands with his fingers until he was sure there was not a single bubble left.

‘But I got thinking,’ he said as he lowered himself slowly in the steaming water. ‘What a pity it is that the cat is not golden, but white and red.’

‘Why so?’ Fíli slipped in next to him and down onto the underwater seat. ‘Have you a special liking to golden-furred critters?’

‘Perhaps– but what I was thinking was that if it had been the colour of gold, you could have used its likeness for a sigil.’ Ori lifted a hand to stroke Fílis’ bearded cheek and smiled when he leaned into the touch. ‘See? A golden cat that loves bathing.’

‘Sweet hands and a sharp tongue – that’s a dangerous combination, Ori son of Nári. Could land you in all kinds of trouble.’

Ori truly had no choice but to kiss the corner of that smirking mouth, just a peck, just soft enough to be teasing, because that was new, too, to see that flush on Fíli’s skin and the glint in his eyes that asked for more, and know it was his doing. ‘Trouble?’ he said. ‘But I’m in the best company for that sort of thing, don’t you agree?’ And he held Fíli’s gaze as he slowly, deliberately slid his hand down the side of his neck, and across his chest, and below the surface of the water.

‘I wouldn’t want to brag, but–’ Fíli’s breath caught mid-sentence– ‘but you do have very clever hands.  _Lovely_  hands. Please keep doing that– oh – just like that.’ He tipped his head back against the rim of the bath, eyes fluttering closed.

‘Do you mean to keep talking all the while?’

Fíli laughed. ‘You want to shut me up?’

‘I think I want to try,’ Ori said with a grin and climbed into his lap.

In the end, he didn’t quite manage to silence him, but there was a definite sense of accomplishment in making a person forget most of their words.  



End file.
